Bradford City hope a two-week break in the Premiership programme will give their injured players a chance to regain their fitness.

City added two more injuries to their list of senior players when midfielder Gareth Whalley and full back Gunnar Halle both had to leave the field during the 1-1 draw at West Ham on Saturday.

Whalley was stretchered off with an ankle ligament injury just before half-time while Halle, who replaced him, had to leave the field after a kick on the calf 25 minutes later.

City manager Chris Hutchings said: "Gareth Whalley is not as serious as we thought and it should not be too long before he is fit again."

Senior players Andrew O'Brien, Andy Myers, Ian Nolan, David Hopkin and Dean Saun-ders are all out of action, but Hutchings hopes there will be a big improvement in the injury situation before City resume their Premiership programme at Manchester City a week on Saturday.

City go into the two-week break in good heart following Dan Petrescu's last-minute equaliser at Upton Park.

Goalkeeper Matt Clarke said: "Morale was not low, even when we went bottom of the table.

"We know what a tight league the Premiership is. A win could take us into the middle of the table."

Petrescu has joined the Romanian squad for their World Cup qualifying match against Italy at Milan on Saturday. But Nolan has withdrawn from the Northern Ireland squad and Saunders has pulled out of the Welsh squad because of their injuries.